


Survive

by lil_Tasha



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, BAMF Wanda Maximoff, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Feels, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Kid Pietro Maximoff, Kid Wanda Maximoff, Telepathic Wanda Maximoff, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 11:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_Tasha/pseuds/lil_Tasha
Summary: Now homeless and orphaned, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff are kidnapped by Russian scientists to be used as lab rats. They do what they must to survive, but is it enough?





	

The sky was clouded black with the dense, suffocating ash of the bombing aftermath in Transia, Sokovia. It was futile to send firemen in pursuit of survivors when it was virtually impossible see or hear anything more than four feet from your position. Sadly, there weren’t very many who’d endured the first wave of explosives, much less the second. Those who managed to reside within any wreckage they may have been trapped in, presumably wouldn’t make it much longer without medical care.

Hundreds of apartment buildings were wrecked, chunks plummeting into the grey and red tinted snow that covered the expanse of Transia. One apartment seemed to have gone unharmed, that is, until the gaping hole in the roof was seen. On the inside of the building, a bombshell sat stationary in the midst of the first floor room. Two sets of anxious, young eyes stared at the explosive sitting within arms reach as their motionless bodies remained huddled against one another for warmth in the cool porcelain bathtub.

The grey haired boy had his long arms snaked protectively around his sister’s smaller form, his calm blue eyes gazing into her panicked hazel ones. She’d been asleep when their apartment was bombed and woke up to him yelling at her to climb in the tub and hunker down. He knew she was on the verge of a breakdown.

“ **It’s okay, Wanda** ,” he spoke softly in Russian, his heavy Eastern European accent almost soothing as he combed his nimble fingers through his sister’s lengthy, chestnut hair. “ **Just breathe. You’re okay. I’m here.** ”

“ **Pietro** ,” Wanda mumbled, her accent not as weighty as her brother’s. “ **Where are mom and dad?** ”

The boy suddenly tensed at his sister’s words. He sighed. “ **They saved us.** ”

“ **Oh.** ” She paused as the reality and severity of the situation gradually set in. Wanda pursed her lips before asking, “ **How long have we been here? And when can we leave?** ”

Pietro thought for a moment. “ **About two days. Maybe less. And I’m really not sure as to when we can leave** ,” he replied. “ **But for now, we have to stay here because of that**.” He pointed at the bomb. “ **Now get some sleep. It’ll help pass the time and you more than need it.** ”

“ **But Pietro** ,” Wanda whined.

“ **Wanda** ,” he snapped, his voice teetering on impatience. “ **Sleep.** ”

Wanda mumbled something under her breath—most likely out of anger—that Pietro didn’t quite catch, but he let it slide. She turned inward and tucked her head in between his chin and collarbone, relaxing her body as she knew he would keep her safe. Pietro enclosed Wanda in his arms and gently rested his chin on the top of her head.

“ **You’ll sleep too** ,” she said, more of an instruction than a question.

“ **You know** ,” he started. “ **I’m twelve minutes older than you.** ”

“ **Tease** ,” Wanda muttered, exasperated.

Pietro grinned before whispering, “ **But yes, I’ll sleep. I just need to make sure that you’re safe.** ” He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. “ **I love you.** ”

“ **I love you, too** ,” she replied, closing her eyes, and allowing herself to be dragged under by the inviting darkness sleep provided.

 

* * *

 

 

The sound of a nearby explosion wrenched the Twins from their sleep, more so Pietro than Wanda. He nudged at his sister’s arm until she awoke fully.

“ **What’s going on?** ” she asked, her voice heavy with drowsiness as she spoke.

Turning her around in his arms so their gazes were level, Pietro replied, “ **Listen to me, Wanda. You have to get out of here. There was another explosion not so far from here. I don’t want this bomb being triggered and going off with you in its range.** ” His tone was urgent, yet calm as he spoke through his arousing panic.

Wanda furrowed her dusty eyebrows. “ **No!** ” she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. “ **I’m not leaving you here to die like mom and dad.** ”

“ **Well, I’m not giving you a choice. As soon as I say, you’re to run straight for the door in the back and out to the street. Don’t you dare look back, just run.** ”

“ **And what about you?** ”

Pietro smiled grimly and ran his thumb over Wanda’s cheekbone, catching the stray tear that began its downward descent. “ **I love you, my little enchantress** ,” he whispered.

“ **I love you, too, my quickster.** ”

“ **Ready?** ”

Inhaling deeply, Wanda nodded and rounded so that she was facing the direction in which her brother instructed her to exit. Before he was given the chance to tell his sister to run, the building suddenly shook, causing debris to drop from the ceiling. Wanda felt Pietro’s hand on her back, giving her a harsh push so she’d move forward and out of the bathtub.

“ **Move, Wanda!** ” Pietro yelled.

“ **But—** ” she started.

“ **I’m right behind you, go!** ”

Wanda groaned, frustrated with her headstrong, overprotective brother, but adhered to his instruction as she crawled over the lip of the tub and sprinted for the door, her hazel eyes never daring to glance over her shoulder. Her arms shielded her head from the descending wreckage and she nearly lost her footing a few times as she stumbled over fallen debris. Nonetheless, Wanda evacuated the building as she’d been told and rushed out to the street. Her long legs were unable to put enough distance in between her and the apartment before it went up in flames.

The intense wave of heat burned Wanda’s back as she was thrown into the air. Stars clouded her vision once her head collided with the icy ground, nearly rendering her unconscious. She used what little strength that remained in her feeble body to fight the persuasive wave of darkness that rushed over her. And as she attempted to push herself up, Wanda’s quivering arms gave out, and she face planted into the cold snow.

_ Pietro! _ her mind shrieked, but as she opened her mouth to scream his name, words were the last thing to leave her trembling lips. Wanda then felt a hand grip her shoulder. She sighed in relief, her brain too disoriented to process that the grip was too strong to belong to her brother. But as another hand grabbed Wanda’s thin arm, awareness hit her like a truck. Though her head throbbed too harshly for her to form coherent thoughts, she realized that whoever these people were, neither of them were her brother. She was suddenly jerked upright and her vision blurred, making it difficult to discern the two forms who stood directly in front of her. A small bag was then placed over her head and she lost it.

“ **Get off me!** ” she screamed, lashing out at the two people who’d grabbed her.

Adrenaline kicked in full force as Wanda’s elbow rammed into something stiff behind her. She almost missed the sound of a grunt and the alleviating grip on her arm. But as if out of nowhere, a fist came in heavy and quick, connecting with her face. Her head jerked to the side and she cried out in agony. Not allowing the pain to slow her down, Wanda wrenched her arm away from the man who’d punched her and she swung her leg out. Her foot came in contact with the first man’s knee and his hand dropped from her shoulder as he grabbed his aching leg. She snatched the bag off her head and threw it to the ground. Her petite feet dug into the hard packed snow as she ran hard and fast. She’d made it no more than five feet before suddenly feeling a sharp pain at the back of her neck. Her knees buckled almost instantaneously and she collapsed face first into the frigid surface below her feet. She fought to keep her eyes open, but the pain combined with the drug that was traveling through her system was too much for her overworked body, and the darkness effortlessly consumed her.

 

* * *

 

 

The sedative took its time working its way out of his system. Pietro struggled to open his eyes as they were still lidded with exhaustion. He carefully scanned the room for a sign of any threat. At seeing he was alone, anguish began to boil inside of him, and scorch his insides. He wanted to scream obscenities, but decided against it, and held his tongue. Instead, he groaned in frustration and outrage. A door opening suddenly thwarted his infuriated train of thought. Pietro turned his head to the door to find three men: two of them tall and muscular with bruises and cuts littering their faces and arms, the other was small in a white lab coat with glasses on top of his head.

“Pietro Maximoff,” the man among the two battered ones stated. He caught Pietro glancing warily between the other men. “Your sister did this.”

Shock and maybe even pride crossed Pietro’s face. “ _ My _ sister did  _ that _ ?” he asked, his thick accent almost making him incomprehensible as he spoke in English.

The man nodded in confirmation and answered with a simple, “Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s here.”

Pietro crossed his arms. “I’m going to need you to do better than that.”

“She’s alive,” the man replied. “ _ Barely _ ,” he added.

Anger quickly took control of Pietro’s face. “What do you mean? What did you do to her?”

“Nothing, yet.”

“What do you want with us?”

“Scientific purposes.” Pietro furrowed his grey eyebrows in irritation. “Discovery requires experimentation, Mr. Maximoff.”

“Do my sister and I get a say in this?” The man shrugged, causing Pietro’s blood to boil as he grew more frustrated.

“You’ll see. You just need some time.” The man chuckled. “And I’m providing you and your sister with plenty.”

At those words, Pietro felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck, and his eyes slipped shut.

 

* * *

 

 

Hazel eyes flickered open and darted around the room. As Wanda attempted to sit up, she quickly took note that her motion was restricted when she could only lift her head.

“Ms. Maximoff,” a man said, startling her.

Wanda turned her head to the left. “ **Who are you?** ” she asked, her voice sharp.

“Ah, I forgot you don’t speak or understand English as well as your brother.” He paused before switching to Russian. “ **My name is Baron Von Strucker. I’m a scientist.** ”

“ **Why am I here? Where’s Pietro?** ”

“ **You and your brother are here as test subjects for a newly developed experiment still in its trial phase.** ”

“ **What experiment?** ” she snapped.

“ **You’re too young to understand, my dear.** ”

“ **Why do you think we’d agree to this? We’re not that naive.** ”

“ **Ah, but your brother agreed to it.** ”

“ **He did what?** ” Wanda asked incredulously.

A sinister grin crossed Strucker’s face. “ **We’d threatened to kill you if he didn’t.** ”

“ **You disgusting monster** ,” she sneered.

“ **And with that said, let’s begin.** ” Rounding on his heel, Strucker obtained a hypodermic needle with scarlet liquid from a metal tray. He turned back around and watched as Wanda’s eyes dilated at the sight of the instrument in his hand. “ **The pain at certain levels has the tendency to cause us to blackout.** ” He paused as he positioned the tip of the needle against the tender, clammy skin of her neck. “ **And that can be incredibly frustrating. But as long as we complete the experiment, then it’s just another problem we’ll deal with.** ”

A sharp hiss was heard at the feel of the pointed needle penetrating Wanda’s fragile skin. Her pained outcry then filled the room as the serum rapidly spread throughout her system. Tears ran from the corners of her hazel eyes, but they weren’t caused by the agony of the serum. A strange sort of pain burned within her, one she wasn’t quite familiar with. Another cry was heard, but it hadn’t erupted from Wanda’s throat. She recognized it to be her brother’s, along with the excessive pain she’d been experiencing.

_ I can feel his pain _ , she thought skeptically to herself.

Each scream from Pietro brought Wanda’s drained body an extra wave of pain, causing outcry after outcry. The Twins’ bodies were being pushed to limits they didn’t even know to exist, until they finally broke.

_ Let it end _ , her mind begged.  _ Just let it end _ .

End it did as his screams halted and her additional pain ceased.

“ **No** ,” she whispered.

“ **The experiment is complete** ,” Strucker announced proudly. “ **It’s quite unfortunate only one of you survived, but if one is all we can get, then one is what we’ll take.** ”

“ **No!** ” she cried, her throat sore. “ **He can’t be dead. Do something. Bring him back!** ”

“ **I apologize, Wanda. But there’s no—** ” Strucker’s sentence was cut short as the door opened and another man in a white lab coat rushed inside.

“Sir,” he began.

Strucker whipped around. “What?” he seethed.

“It’s the boy.” Wanda’s eyes darted to the young scientist speaking. “He’s alive,” he breathed, bringing a hand to his forehead in disbelief.

“How?” Strucker asked, his voice as surprised as the younger scientist.

“We believe he slipped into a condensed coma, but his enhancement drew him from it,” the young man replied, pausing to quickly gather his thoughts before continuing. “He has increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her enhancement is neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis, and mental manipulation. So, he’s fast, and she’s weird.” He paused once again before continuing. “They also appear to have the power of telepathy, which is referred to as a sixth sense. It’s something we’ve never seen before with our test subjects and it’s peculiar to see this specific sense in humans. We assume this is possible because they’re twins with an abnormally phenomenal bond. They were most likely unaware of this power they possessed, but now with their enhancements, this ability has been improved, and they can be taught to use and control it.”

Strucker nodded, quite impressed with the information he was receiving. “It’s crucial we begin their training promptly. Prepare—”

“ **Where is he?** ” Wanda snapped, cutting Strucker’s sentence short and drawing the attention of both scientists to herself. “ **I want to see him.** ”

“ **Ms. Maximoff** ,” Strucker began.

“ **I said I want to see him** ,” she fumed, her eyes briefly flashing red before reverting to their original hazel color.

“ **Alright.** ” Strucker turned back to the young scientist. “Doctor List, bring Pietro Maximoff in.”

List, nodded in response before quickly exiting the room to retrieve Wanda’s brother. Strucker made his way over to the table on which Wanda was lying and undid the tight restraints around her ankles and wrists.

Sitting up caused a sharp, knife-like sensation to stab her temples. Wanda gasped and sealed her eyes, hoping the pain would recede. She ignored the sound of the door opening, only glancing up when she heard her brother’s voice.

“ **Pietro?** ” she whispered, eying the young boy before her.

The former grey-haired boy smiled and padded over to his sister. “ **The one and only.** ”

Wanda hid her smirk as she slid off the table. “ **What happened to your hair?** ” she asked him, reaching up to curl his now white hair around her tiny, nimble fingers.

“ **I guess the enhancement** ,” he replied with a slight shrug. “ **My enhancement is super speed and they said it caused my hair to turn white and my heartbeat to quicken.** ” Wanda nodded in acknowledgement of her brother’s words as she continued to mess with his hair. “ **What did they do to you, sis?** ”

Tensing, Wanda dropped her arm to her side. “ **I couldn’t really understand all of what they were saying, but something about telekinesis and mental manipulation.** ” Her gaze shifted to her hands. “ **I don’t really know what it means.** ”

“ **Well, it sounds pretty cool to me.** ” He tucked his finger under Wanda’s chin and gently lifted her head. “ **What happened?** ”

Wanda’s confused gaze met her brother’s. “ **I don’t understand.** ”

“ **Something else happened. You’re just not telling me what.** ”

Wanda hesitated. “ **I felt your pain** ,” she replied, her voice trembling and hardly above a whisper. “ **I don’t really know how but I did, and I felt it when you died.** ”

Pietro was at a loss for words, so in response, he wrapped his arms around Wanda and rested his chin atop her head. “ **I love you** ,” he murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head. “ **I’m so sorry I dragged us into this.** ”

“ **Don’t be, Pietro. You only wanted to keep me safe.** ”

“ **Yet, here we are under the roof of strange people and scientists with these powers** ,” he replied resentfully.

Wanda could feel her brother’s heartbeat accelerating. “ **Pietro** ,” she spoke softly, lifting her head so that her gaze was in line with his. “ **Please calm down. I’m alive and breathing, right?** ” He nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak. “ **Then you did what you promised mom and dad and kept me safe. Don’t get upset.** ”

Pietro opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the voice of Strucker. “ **Alright children, visiting is over.** ”

The Twins glared at Strucker before looking back at each other.

Wanda grasped her brother’s hand and squeezed it. “ **Just a few more minutes?** ” she asked.

Strucker snapped his fingers and two armed men entered the room. Pietro felt his hand being gripped tighter by his petrified sister.

“ **I said visiting is over** ,” Strucker repeated, his voice firmer than when he’d formerly spoken.

“ **It’s okay, Wanda** ,” Pietro whispered, his gaze focused on Wanda. He noticed the tears shining in her hazel eyes. “ **I love you, okay?** ”

“ **I love you, too.** ”

Pietro carefully pried his sister’s fingers from his hand before walking towards the door.

“ **Where are you taking him?** ” Wanda asked.

“ **Same place you’ll be going later** ,” Strucker replied as Pietro was being ushered from the room. “ **You’ll be taught to control your powers that were brought on by the enhancements.** ”

“Actually, Sir,” List began. “We have a separate room Ms. Maximoff can train in that’ll contain her power shall she lose control.”

Acknowledging the scientists’ words, Strucker nodded to one of the guards escorting Pietro, and he made his way over to Wanda. As the guard went to grab her arm, Wanda jerked away from him, and backed up a few steps. He moved forward and roughly captured her thin arm in his hand. This time, Wanda lashed out. Her hazel eyes transformed, turning a deep red, and a scarlet colored energy emerged from her fingers, sending the man into the wall opposite them.

“Sedate her!” Strucker snapped.

List hastily seized a hypodermic needle from his pocket, and a vial filled with green liquid. He prepared the needle and rushed to Wanda’s side, swiftly inserting it into her neck. The sedative took effect quickly and Wanda collapsed onto the floor in a heap.

“ **Wanda!** ” Pietro exclaimed. He was a blue and white blur as he sprinted to his sister’s side in less than a second. He then crumpled next to her, the darkness engulfing him.

 

* * *

 

 

Wanda jolted awake, her heartbeat hammering in her ears as she breathed heavily. A small gasp passed her lips at the distressing sight before her.

“ **No** ,” she murmured, shaking her head.

The white haired boy with the gun trained on his temple smiled sadly. “ **It’s okay, Wanda** ,” he whispered, even though he knew the situation was far from it.

“ **Pietro** .” The tears were in Wanda’s eyes and rolling down her face before she had the chance to stop them.

“ **I’m going to make this very simple Ms. Maximoff** ,” Strucker spoke calmly, his finger resting comfortably on the trigger of the loaded weapon. “ **Demonstrate your powers with control** **_and_ ** **stability, and I won’t shoot your brother.** ”

Wanda’s lips quivered as she replied, “ **But I can’t. I—I don’t know how.** ”

“ **You have ten seconds to figure it out.** ” Strucker’s tone was nothing short of displeased.

Pietro nodded at his sister. “ **I trust you, my little enchantress** ,” he reassured her.

Strucker began the countdown. “ **Ten.** ”

Wanda closed her eyes and thought back to how she had attacked one of Strucker’s men earlier. If she could do it again, then Pietro would be alright.

“ **Nine.** ” Strucker’s furious voice rattled Wanda’s train of thought and she groaned in irritation.

“ **It’s okay, Wanda.** ” Pietro’s soothing voice calmed her. “ **Just try.** ”

“ **Eight.** ”

Wanda focused on committing all of her energy into the power she’d been given.

“ **Seven.** ”

She closed her eyes, inhaled, and outstretched her hands. But unfortunately, nothing happened.

“ **Six.** ”

Strucker was growing more impatient by the second, so she tried again.

“ **Five.** ”

Wanda glanced anxiously at her brother and he only smiled in encouragement.

“ **Four.** ”

_ Third time’s the charm? _ she thought.  _ Hopefully _ .

Stucker cocked the gun. “ **Three.** ”

Tears cascaded down Wanda’s face as her third attempt was unsuccessful.

“ **Two.** ”

The Twins stared at each other, the angst and dread evident in their wide eyes. Wanda wanted so desperately to try again, but Pietro shook his head.

“ _ It’s okay _ ,” he told her telepathically, a smile crossing his face.

“ **One.”**

“ _ I forgive you _ .”

They both closed their eyes and Wanda flinched, not at the sound of the gunshot, but at the pain that erupted within her head. Her once hazel eyes were now flaring red as they glared at Strucker and the scarlet colored energy she’d endeavored to recreate surrounded her hands once again. She stalked towards him, her gaze sharp and focused as if she were a predator pursuing her prey.

A wicked grin crossed Wanda’s face as she began to sing in a menacing and highly unsettling voice. “ **Sleep my beautiful good boy.** ” She twirled her hand in a peculiar way, fingers curling in an odd and somewhat disturbing way. “ **I will tell you fairy tales** ,” she continued, closing in on him. “ **And sing you little songs.** ” Raising her arm and flicking her wrist, Wanda fired a hex bolt at Strucker, sending him into the corner of the room. She then resumed her singing. “ **But you must slumber.** ”

“ **Ms. Maximoff** ,” he gasped, trying desperately to sit up. “ **Please.** ”

Wanda continued with her eerie serenade, neglecting the pleas of the frightened scientist. “ **With your eyes closed.** ” She knelt down in front of him on both knees, rotating her wrist, as she finished her song. “Bayushki bayu.”

“ **If you do this Ms. Maximoff, the guards will come and kill you.** ”

“You can’t kill someone who’s already dead,” Wanda deadpanned, her thick accent making her almost incomprehensible words that much more so. She turned her head to the side, resembling the look of a confused puppy. “Do you know how it felt?” she asked. “To have your heart ripped out?”

At that, Wanda put her hand to Strucker’s chest, red energy darted from her fingers into his body in search of his beating heart. Once she found what her powers desired, her fingers twisted and curled, sending more scarlet into his weak body. Strucker groaned in what Wanda assumed was pain, but she wasn’t doing this out of mercy, she was doing this out of vengeance. Her face remained clear of any and all emotion as she watched the color drain from his face and the life dissipate from his eyes.

So caught up in her plan of revenge, Wanda hadn’t heard the sound of a gun being fired. And she didn’t conclude her actions until Strucker’s beating heart came free in her hand. She studied the bloodied organ for a moment before allowing her facade to drop. 

“It felt like that,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Wanda then peered down and noticed the crimson blood pooling around her knees from the gunshot wound in her lower abdomen. The combined physical and emotional trauma suddenly hit her all at once and she slumped over. Her eyes returned to their hazel color as she glanced over at her brother.

“ **May we meet again, big brother** ,” she breathed before surrendering herself to the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics from Bayushki Bayu which is a Russian lullaby.


End file.
